Baba And Amir Relationship

1128 Words3 Pages

Through relationships, individuals connect in different ways to overcome challenges and support one another. The sacrifices, lies and love strengthen their bonds. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner displays the tensions that arise between families and friends. The image of tug of war can act as a metaphor for Amir and Baba’s relationship because it is a struggle between two people that are bonded by a rope to win control of something. The image represents Amir and Baba’s relationship because of their contrasting interests, Baba thinks Amir does not possess leadership qualities and Amir has to prove himself to Baba at the kite tournament. To begin with, the metaphor of tug of war represents Amir and Baba’s relationship because of their conflicting …show more content…

When the rope is pulled, there is more tension between the opponents and the more distant the individuals become. As they play the game, one individual always has more control over the other opponent. Similarly, Amir and Baba have different hobbies which make them disregard each other’s opinions. Amir is an introvert and insecure boy, while Baba is a highly recognized man in Afghanistan. Due to Amir’s reserved personality, he enjoys reading books and poetry whereas Baba enjoys playing and watching soccer. Baba is not there for Amir because his son is not a reflection of himself and ultimately neglects him. For example, when Baba says “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son” (Hosseini 25), it signifies how Baba is ashamed of who Amir is and what he is interested in. Baba is very separated from Amir because he feels there is no real connection between the two of them other than the blood relation. In fact, there is a clash of views between them since Amir worries that his father does not view …show more content…

The challenge that two individuals face when they are in the middle of the tug of war displays how they will find a way to reconnect with each other. It is a competition for individuals to find a balance between opinions. This suggests that there needs to be common ground between individuals like Amir and Baba’s relationship. The metaphor of tug of war symbolizes their relationship because flying kites is what they have in common. They both enjoy doing it and this is the only way they connect. Baba is a kite fighter champion while Amir is still learning. When Amir says “Baba was telling me about the time he’d cut fourteen kites on the same day… I had a mission now. And I wasn’t going to fail Baba. Not this time” (Hossseini 60), it shows how determined Amir is to meet Baba’s expectations and not be seen as an embarrassment. Baba shows off how good he is and how many kites he can cut. It displays irony because Baba cuts his kites but in Amir’s case Hassan cuts the kites. Their relationship represents the metaphor because they both are in the middle but still one person has more strength than the other. It is a pushing and withdrawing effect that creates distance and disconnection between them. Amir wants to be as good as Baba and prove to him that he is not any less than him. When he wins the kite tournament he gets the recognition he

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